Monday, April 24, 2023

Random Access Memory

John Stromgren

The daily reflection from Frederick Buechner entitled “Remember” triggered memories for me.

I immediately thought of my dear friend, Kyle, whom I met on my first day of college, let’s just say, many years ago. We don’t correspond much, don’t “follow” each other on any sort of social media, don’t call each other, and we’ve only seen each other maybe three times in the last twenty years. But I carry him with me, just like Buechner says. I e-mailed him, and we had a good, brief catch-up. He’s in my heart.

The next morning, while just waking up, for no reason that I can think of, I remembered the hymn “Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go.” It’s one that I was familiar with from the Lutheran Book of Worship. It became a favorite of mine, and I memorized it. It’s good to have a prayer handy, in your memory, when you need it. In this case, it’s a “get your day off to a good start” kind of a prayer. Charles Wesley wrote it:

Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go,
My daily labor to pursue;
Thee, only thee, resolved to know
In all I think, or speak, or do.

The task thy wisdom hath assigned,
O let me cheerfully fulfill;
In all my works thy presence find,
And prove thy good and perfect will.

Thee may I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes mine inmost substance see,
And labor on at thy command,
And offer all my works to Thee.

Give me to bear thy easy yoke,
And every moment watch and pray,
And still to things eternal look,
And hasten to thy glorious day.

For Thee delightfully employ
Whate’er thy bounteous grace hath given;
And run my course with even joy,
And closely walk with thee to Heaven.

I am grateful for memory, and marvel at the randomness of it. It doesn’t always work when I need it to, and I may lose it altogether some day. But I am grateful for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUVAbXgJyqQ

The Epworth Choir, The Choir of the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster